Behind the scenes of the BAFTA ident

David Jackson, Format.Ldn's director, explains why communication is the key to unlocking open briefs.

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Format.Ldn recently created this innovative new ident for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). "It was a complicated project," creative director David Jackson says, "as there really was no brief."

The London-based graphic and motion design specialists eventually decided on a technique which involved scanning the iconic BAFTA award in 3D. This allowed a detailed capture of the gold theatrical mask created in 1955 by US sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe.

"We then spent time getting the look and feel just right," Jackson says, "before finally animating the mask in a series of moves to create several versions of the ident."

Clear concept

The project was completed after an extensive research and development stage which the client was involved in throughout. "After an initial conversation," Jackson says, "we began to research both the old idents and similar work. The only work we could look at was the previous long-standing animation. The concept for us was clear and was received well within the organisation."

The result is a sleek and understated ident befitting of an institution of BAFTA’s standing, a striking visual representation of the feeling it inspires.

"This project had to be approved by quite a few people at every stage, due to the nature of the organisation and the potential usage of the ident. The end product is super and we’re very proud to have been asked to take on the project and deliver something with such a global audience," adds Jackson.